Pacific Orange
Pacific Orange, officially the Republic of Pacific Orange, is an island country in the Asia Pacific region. It is surrounded on all sides by the Pacific Orange and its nearest neighbours include on the west Pacific Green, on the east Butsili, on the south Full Out Azn and on the north Stalinstan. The nation itself consists of several islands which together form the archipelego making up Pacific Orange. The largest of these - and on which the majority of the population resides - is known as Xuanzang Island ( named after the mythological maritime figure who supposedly first discovered the island somewhere in the 16th century ). Nonetheless, sizeable portions of the population are spread out across the other islands - namely on the Matsu and Lanyu Islands and the New Territories. Pacific Orange is a parliamentary republic of seven regions, each of which is governed by a regional legislature in addition to the nation's federal authority. The capital city and seat of government is Saint Victoria. As a nation-state, the majority of the country was unified amidst the collapse of the old union of Pacific Blue in 1947, with the New Territories being admitted only later during 1990. It is a member of the Grand Global Alliance, and with a population of over 40 000 people, it is one of the larger nations among the GGA member states. Official National Information For full article refer to: Pacific Orange Ministry of Foreign Affairs The Republic of Pacific Orange is an island nation situated in the Asia - Pacific Region based on the principles of laissez faire economics and popular representative rule whose neighbours include the countries of Pacific Green, Full Out Azn and Stalinstan. The capital city of Pacific Orange is Saint Victoria and its current head of state is a President who is elected to serve a 5 year term. The nation strongly believes in the people's right to control business and the idea of individual liberty in general. As a result, the government is less inclined to interfere in the affairs of its citizens though with the rise of global terrorism, the Ministry of the Interior has been granted greater power and control in the interests of national security. Nonethless, Pacific Orange citizens enjoy a relatively high level of freedom and independence along with state funded healthcare, education and welfare benefits. Due to its ex-colonial past, Pacific Orange contains a mixed variety of ethnicities though the majority of its population are either Chinese, English, Thai or German in descent. Officially, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs claims that: "Pacific Orange is a growing, mostly developed, and established nation with citizens primarily of Chinese or English or German or Thai ethnicity with no state religion. Its technology is first rate and its citizens marvel at the astonishing advancements within their nation. However its citizens pay extremely high taxes and many despise their government as a result, particularly as the citizens of Pacific Orange work diligently to produce wheat and lumber as tradable resources for their nation. It is a mostly neutral country when it comes to foreign affairs and will usually only attack another nation if attacked first. When it comes to nuclear weapons Pacific Orange will not research or develop nuclear weapons. The military of Pacific Orange has been positioned at all border crossings and is arresting all drug traffickersbut within the country, Pacific Orange allows its citizens to openly protest their government, even if it means violence. It has an open border policy, but in order for immigrants to remain in the country they will have to become citizens first. Pacific Orange believes in the freedom of speech and feels that it is every citizen's right to speak freely about their government. The nation no definite foreign aid policy at this time and will trade with other countries with questionable ethical treatment of their citizens but prefers to keep such trade agreements a secret." History of Pacific Orange For full article refer to: History of Pacific Orange The nation of Pacific Orange has experienced a turbulent history of ups and downs filled with memories of authoritarian government, economic depression and spectres of national defeat and humiliation balanced with the joys of democratic reform, times of national prosperity and ultimate victory and national survival in both Great Patriotic Wars. Founded on the 2nd March 1947, by nationalists headed under Pawws, the First Republic saw a weak federation of states unable to handle the pressures of the First Great Patriotic War. National destabilisation even after victory and independence in the first war led to the collapse of the First Republic and the establishment of a stronger federal government in the Second Republic. However, the success with which the Nationalists gained majorities in both Houses of Parliament sowed the seeds for the destruction of the Second Republic as Pawws - riding upon a wave of popularity and military support - extended the power of his presidency with the induction of the Third Republic whereby a powerful presidential body gained the authority to intervene to a greater extent in the affairs of Pacific Orange society. But the Third Republic was unsuited to protecting democracy within the country and after a series of military coups and a left wing insurrection throughout the 1970's, Pawws announced the formation of a Ministry of the Interior. Concieved of at least initially as a counterweight to the military's power in the Pacific Orange state, the organisation soon become an effective tool in consolidating Pawws' grip over the nation, engaging in the terror and repression of all elements opposed to the Third Republic. However following the 1979 energy crisis and a severe economic recession, public demonstrations against the Republic was ultimately successful in driving Pawws from office and into exile sowing the seeds for the country's transition towards a restoration of democracy with the founding of the Fourth Republic by December 1979. The subsequent period of conservative rule oversaw a period of extensive reform - most notably in the drastic decrease in the size and power of the Ministry of the Interior. The establishment of five key semi-privatised conglomerates each overseeing a particular area of the nation's economy was instrumental in consolidating the nation's economic growth throughout the 1980's ensuring that with the restoration of democracy came a period of relative financial prosperity. Unfortunately for the Socialist / Labor coalition, this period of prosperity proved disastrous for their electoral fortunes leading to the collapse of the coalition in the late 1983. Failing to adequately reform as the Labor party had by the elections of 1986, the Socialist Party suffered a massive rift as the radical faction split to form a seperate Socialist Progressive Party to which more moderate elements formally dissolved the Socialist Party and established the Republican Party in reponse. But the growth of the Pacific Orange economy throughout the 1980's was to have another unpredicted consequence. Seeing the possibility for improving their nation by unification with the Pacific Orange state, several unification movements began to burgeon throughout the late 1980's in the Thai communities of Rayong Saiyan just south of Pacific Orange. Harsh crackdowns by a repressive ... regime on such movements led to a 'Declaration of Principles' by the Pacific Orange parliament whereby military intervention was threatened if the crackdowns did not cease. Ultimately unable to resist both internal and external pressures against his position, ... was forced to flee and in the subsequent elections the unificanionist ... was elected to power setting into motion the train of events leading to the admission of the New Territories and the establishment of the current Pacific Orange state. Pacific Orange Tourism Board The Republic of Pacific Orange offers a variety of sights and sounds to explore and enjoy owing to the nation's sheer diversity in landscapes and environments. Politics of Pacific Orange For full article refer to: Politics of Pacific Orange Pacific Orange politics is conducted according to the principles of representative democracy wherein government and political officials are selected according to a popular vote held at regular intervals under the strict supervision of an independent electoral commission. Each representative is elected by a particular electoral district - known as legislative constituency - whose interests the representative is expected to protect during his/her tenure in parliament. Despite being elected by the people to act in their interests however, representatives retain the freedom to exercise their own judgment as how they see fit though each representative nonetheless realises that it is ultimately the people who judge the legitimacy of each decision. Furthermore, whilst the majority of the nation's political decisions are handled by these representatives, the constitution of Pacific Orange allows in certain instances for popular votes on major policy decisions; though instances of such referenda have been quite rare in the history of Pacific Orange. Government of Pacific Orange For full article refer to: Government of Pacific Orange For a list of all Pacific Orange Presidents refer to: Presidents of Pacific Orange The basis of government in Pacific Orange are thoroughly grounded in the principles of seperation of powers, rule of law and protection of liberties. As a result, the Republic of Pacific Orange is arranged into three, distinct and independent entities: the Supreme Court which functions as the nation's judicial authority, the Legislative Assembly and Senate to which the nation's legislative responsibilites are ascribed and the Presidential Administration which is responsible for overseeing the day to day management of the state. Admittedly, the boundary between the latter two - the executive and the legislative - is rather porous at times with members of the higher echelons of the Presidential Administration being selected often from people in the Legislative Assembly or Senate. Whilst the ministries which make up the cabinet in government have varied throughout the nation's four republics, the current government structure is as follows. The President acts as the nation's official head of state and is responsible for overseeing the implentation of all laws and resolutions passed by the Houses of Parliament. Within the cabinet itself, the Prime Minister is entrusted with legislative authority and is usually the main decider on the course of government policy, though this is subject to approval by Parliament. Below the Prime Minister is the Chancellor of the Exchequer, granted control over the nation's financial reserves and the federal budget, he/she is responsible for the nation's economy and is traditionally considered as the third most important person in government. Other ministers include the Minister of Foregin affairs, responsible for handling the nation's diplomatic affairs, the Minister of the Interior who maintains the nation's infrastructure, the Minister of Defence, the Minister of Labour handling the nation's industrial relations and social welfare schemes and The Minister of Environmental and Social Affairs who oversees all matters pertaining to the nation's environment, health and education. As like all political positions within Pacific Orange, all ministers must retain seats in parliament in order to serve and thus remain answerable to the public - in particular to their electorates to whom they must appeal to in order to remain in power. Economy of Pacific Orange For full article refer to: Economy of Pacific Orange The economy of Pacific Orange is based mostly on its wheat and lumber industries, whose further development is overseen by the partly state run Pacific Orange Wheatboard and Vosges Lumber Company respectively. Nonetheless, the nation's economic viability is not solely dependant on both sectors and throughout the latter half of the twentieth century - as the country underwent successive periods of modernisation - the production of manufactured goods and technology has played and continues to play an integral role in the steady growth of the Pacific Orange economy. Indeed the nation's early investments in developing and maintaining working harbours and more recently an interstate transit system has allowed for the easy movement of materials both into, within and out of the country; thereby enabling Pacific Orange to successfully cultivate healthy trade relations with both regional and global partners. Recently, the nation has expanded into developing its financial sectors with the establishment of several private banking corporations independent from the government owned Pacific Orange Commercial Bank. Whilst still in their relative infancy, early successes suggest hopeful signs that such corporations will be able to assist in the near future with the country's development. Nonethless, the nation's admission into the Grand Global Alliance trading bloc has played an enormous role in the nation's recent economic booms. The influx of agricultural products such as cattle, pigs, sugar, spices, fish and marble coupled with industrial materials ( eg. marble, iron and aluminium )and not to mention valuable minerals like gems has fed Pacific Orange's burgeoning beer, fast food and construction sectors of the economy in addition to the already reasonably well developed wheat and lumber fields. Similarly, the fostering of friendly trade relations within the network has found new markets for Pacific Orange industries - particularly its technology industry during the nation's early years - and thus new sources of revenue with which to fund the nation's economic growth. In terms of economic policy, the nation under the governing "Pan Red" coalition remains committed to pursuing a policy of semi nationalisation / semi privatisation particularly in industries with large amounts of national assets for example, the wheat and lumber industries. Under the current federal policy, the government continues to retain a sizeable stake ( circa 40% ) in all five major corporations responsible for overseeing the development of a particular field of the economy. The corporations are given state approved monopolies over their respective sectors and in return are bound by contract to employ a certain percentage of the Pacific Orange population and pay - arguably - higher taxes than on average. Nonetheless, the government claims that such semi socialist policies have produced the nation's current economic success. As of current, Pacific Orange is considered a "growing, mostly developed and established nation" and its citizens enjoy on average daily incomes in excess of $200.00 per day as well as a relatively high literacy rate in the region of 94%. Demography of Pacific Orange For full article refer to: Demography of Pacific Orange Of the 50 000 people estimated to be living in Pacific Orange, most are now believed to have descended from Asian immigrants, the majority from China and Southeast Asia. Pacific Orange's population has quadrupled since the end of the First Great Patriotic War due to an ambitious immigration programme wherein immigrants were lured into the country by promises of government funded travel to and settlement within the country. Whilst such a policy was abandoned following the Second Great Patriotic War, almost 10 000 of the total population settled in the country as new immigrants meaning at least one out of five Pacific Orange citizens were born overseas. In 2007, the four largest ethnic groups of Pacific Orange were English ( 32% ), Chinese ( 26% ), Thai ( 22% ) and German ( 11 % ) and hence English, Chinese, Thai and German are the official languages of the Pacific Orange State. However according to the 2005 census, English is the only language spoken at home for almost 70% of the population with the next most common languages spoken at home being Chinese at 12% and Thai at 8%. That said, it should be noted that a considerable proportion of the population is bilingual - especially among first and second generation immigrant families - which helps to explain the discrepancy between the percentage of English speaking people within the population and the proportion of people with English speaking backgrounds. Nonetheless under the cultural initiative programs implemented under the current education reforms, all school students are required to learn another language in addition to English and the government provides a large amount of federal grants to encourage the development of foreign language skills within the rest of the Pacific Orange population. At the present, the most popular languages studied besides English are French, Korean, Chinese and German. Pacific Orange is a strictly secular state and thus has no state religion. Nonetheless, the 2005 census recorded that over 50% of the population ascribe to the Buddhist faith ( with a slight majority identifying themselves with the Mahayana branch over the Theravada form ) with just under 40% identifying themselves as Christian: predominantly either as Roman Catholic or Anglican. But like with many modernised countries today, the level of active participation in religious activities is much lower than the numbers suggested by the census with weekly attendances at temples or churches estimated at only 4 000, or about 8% of the population. Pacific Orange boasts a high level of literacy of over 90%, well above the global standard. This is due primarily to the education policy currently in place within Pacific Orange. School attendance is compulsory for all children between the ages of 6 - 18 years, with students being required to pass two sets of public examinations before being allowed to graduate and leave school. Government grants have been established to support Pacific Orange's 5 major schools and 2 universities, though many more private colleges and institutions have been established and recieve too government funding though to a lesser degree. In addition to universities, Pacific Orange operates a system of vocational training colleges where many trades conduct apprenticeships in order to train new tradespeople for the nation's employmee pool. Approximately 60% of Pacific Orange students advance to university following the completion of their 12th year of schooling and the percentage of Pacific Orange citizens between the ages of 21 - 65 with either a vocational or tertiary degree is amongst the highest in the region. Culture of Pacific Orange For full article refer to: Culture of Pacific Orange The culture of Pacific Orange is diverse, reflecting regional and ethnic differences as well as the influence of recent immigration. Pacific Orange culture has played an important role within the nation and any perceived decline in cultural status is a matter of national concern. Indeed cultural issues are arguably more integrated in the body politic than elsewhere with each regional administration maintaing its own civil authority pertaining to cultural matters regarding that region. There are many regional cultures, linked to the various ethnic groups residing within Pacific Orange; for example English, Han Chinese, Thai and German. The official policy was for a long time to suppress local native customs, but it has relaxed to a great extent. However, since the first Chinese settlements in the late 16th century and following the colonisation of the main islands by Europeans beginning from the 18th century, the primary basis of Pacific Orange culture has been a mix of Anglo-Saxon / ethnic Chinese traditions and customs. However over the past twenty years following the influx of large numbers of Thai immigrants after the admission of the New Territories in 1992, Pacific Orange ulture has been strongly influenced by Thai culture as well as modern overseas pop culture (particularly television and cinema) as the nation continues to undergo a process of modernisation. In terms of artistic culture, the cultural nationalism programs initiated under the Bell presidency and undertaken for the most part by recent Labor governments has seen a flowering and flourishing of freedom and artistic licence in the pursuit of art; in particular within the Barras region, the traditional cultural heartland of the nation. Cultural landmarks achieved so far under this scheme includes São Francisco de Assis Church and the Ville Contemporaine Both not surprisingly have been declared national heritage sites by the current Labor government. Natural Geography and Climate The archipelago of Pacific Orange is located in East Asia, some 120km off the coast of mainland Stalinstan, to the north of Butsili and Pacific Green and south west of Ooosutoria. It is bound on all sides by the Pacific Ocean. The main island of Xuanzang is ... km long and ... km wide and is characterised by the contrasts between its southern tip consisting mostly of rugged mountains, gentler rolling plains in its centre and vast expanse of flat land to the north which finally opens out to beaches and the sea. Pacific Orange's highest point is the Pratyek at 3952 metres; the world's eighteenth highest peak. The Samyaksam river runs from the northern to the southern tips of the island and is a product of the volcanic action which has helped to create much of the Pacific Orange landscape. Two much smaller islands - the Matsu and Lanyu Islands - lie to the west of Xuanzang. Much less rugged than the 'mainland', both these islands boast high residential densities. To the south of Xuanzang is the New Territories - a medley of mostly uninhabited islands. The largest of these - the island city of Silom - is home to most Pacific Orange's ethnic Thai population. Most of the country's agriculture takes place in the centre of the Xuanzang island where the terrain is less rugged and the soils relatively fertile, enriched by minerals deposited by previous volcanic activity. However, much of the land itself is largely arable with just under 60% of the main island devoted to some sort form of agriculture primarily in the harvesting of wheat with small sections devoted to cattle rearing and barley ( for beer making ). Furthermore, the cooler environments of the islands to the south of Xuanzang - namely those situated in the New Territories - makes them ideal for the growing of sugar beet from which raw sugar can be harvested. Pacific Orange's climate is varied. The climate in the northern part of the archipelago is marine tropical and in the early months of the year has a monsoon season. During the summer, hazards such as tropical cyclones and floods are common in the area. However for much of the rest of the year, it boasts a high level of sunshine and general good weather envied by the rest of the nation. The southern sections by contrast experiences a much drier maritime temperate climate with cool winters and warm summers. It is thus generally considered the more appealing area to live. The ecosystem of Pacific Orange is perhaps unique within the region. Whilst most marsupial species endemic to the archipelago were wiped out by the influx of settlers and foreign pests and disease, much of the archipelago's natural vegetation remains - particularly amongst the uninhabited islands of the southern areas. Furthermore, conservation programs carried under successive Pacific Orange governments has seen a recent surge back in the numbers of native flora and fauna particularly as efforts have been made to promote more environmentally sustainable agricultural techniques. Talbot National Park located on the mountainous southernmost side of the Schauinsland is a superb location for spotting much of Pacific Orange's endemic wildlife and has many good examples of the birds, water buffalo and other fauna which used to populate the rest of Xuanzang. Administrative Geography 1. The Schauinsland ''' '''Regional Capital: Gatenby Originally settled by German revolutionaries fleeing persecution in the old world, the Schauinsland remains a rural, idyllic getaway dominated by the harsh but impressive Vosges mountains though increasingly under threat by the mechanical hand of industrialisation. Consisting primarily of villages scattered throughout the countryside, its capital Gatenby is the only city in the region to have a population exceeding 5000 in population. The region contains much of Pacific Orange's lumber reserves 2. The Central Highlands Regional Capital: ''Franklin'' The Central Highlands are the agricultural heartland of Pacific Orange. Due to its volcanic geological past and the frequency of moist, easterly winds, this region enjoys the highest amounts of rainfall and soil productivity rates in the entire country. Despite its rugged, mountainous terrain, this region features perhaps the most intensive land cultivation in the entire country. The bulk of Pacific Orange's grain comes from this region. Owing to the difficult, often inaccessible terrain in much of the region's interior, many of the nation's main defensive military installations including the national military complex at Fort Daschle are located here. 3. The Capitol District Regional / National Capital: Saint Victoria '' The Capitol District is the political hub of Pacific Orange. The nation's capital, which doubles also as the regional capital, is located here. Having been the amongst the first areas of Pacific Orange to be settled during the late 1870's, this province boasts the largest population - approximately 10 000 in late 2006 - and is considered to be the financial powerhouse of the country. Indeed it is estimated that over 70% of all the nation's financial transactions are conducted in this province alone. '''4. The Barras '''Regional Capital: ''Huskisson The Barras boasts the largest amount of sunshine and good weather in the entire nation along with a burgeoning tourism sector. Of all foreigners coming to Pacific Orange, more than 60% visit the Barras. Referred to often as the hub of liberalism within the nation, the Barras enjoys a flourishing and vibrant artistic culture which has produced such works such as the São Francisco de Assis Church and the Ville Contemporaine. The Pacific Orange Institute for Social Research is located here. 5. Matsu Island / Aberdeen Island Regional Capital: ''Kaisheng'' One of the two most heavily industrialised regions in the entire of Pacific Orange ( the other being Matsu's sister island Lanyu island ), Matsu Island holds the honour of having the highest concentration of steelworks and automobile factories within the nation. Settled originally by Chinese sailors sometime during the seventeenth century and thus long before the inhabitation of the main land, Matsu Island maintains a strong and distinctive Chinese culture clearly evident during celebrations such as Chinese New Year. Not surprisingly, the island is named after the Taoist goddess Matsu - the patron saint of all sailors and fishermen. Whilst technically and administratively a seperate region to Lanyu Island, the close proximity of both islands to each other ( not to mention their similar populations and origins ) means that the Matsu and Lanyu Island Districts are often collectively referred to as "The Island District." 6. Lanyu Island / Elisabeth Island Regional Capital: ''San Ming'' The other half of "The Island District", Lanyu was settled at roughly the same time as Matsu as part of a common seafaring culture. Thus like its sister island, Lanyu boasts a flourishing Chinese culture. One of the fruits bearing from Pacific Orange's period of intensive modernisation during the 1980's, the region is the industrial powerhouse of the nation producing close to 40% of all of Pacific Orange's manufactured goods. Pacific Orange's main armanents company - the semi nationalised Morgenroete Corporation - maintains both its headquarters and majority of its processing plants here. 7. The New Territories Regional Capital: Silom The New Territories are the most recent additions to the Pacific Orange nation following a plebiscite in which the majority of its inhabitants voted in favour of dissolving the former state of Rayong Saiyan and uniting with the Pacific Orange state. In contrast to most other regions, the population of the New Territories remains for the most part exclusively Thai with a rate of emigration far exceeding that of immigration into the region. As a result, the region is perhaps unique in the whole of Pacific Orange in that stringent anti-emigration laws have been implemented in a bid to minimise the decline in the regional population. By far the least developed of all the provinces, it has been designated a special administrative and economic zone by the government and is currently in a process of rapid industrial growth. Like the Schauninsland, the region contains sizeable remnants of old forest growth.